Review: Dear Evan
Hansen (Broadway)

I've wanted to see Dear Evan Hansen ever since I
was introduced to the powerful music through clips on
YouTube of Ben Platt singing "Waving Through a Window" and
he and Laura Dreyfuss singing "Only Us." In December 2016,
when I was in New York for a few days, and the show had just
opened at the Music Box Theatre,
my mom and I tried to
win discount tickets via the Dear Evan Hansen
ticket lottery. We entered the lottery ... day, after
day, after day, after day ... And we lost each and every
time.

Unfortunately, on November 19, 2017, before I made it back
to New York, Ben Platt gave his final performance in the
show. But I still loved the music of Dear Evan Hansen,
and the story intrigued me. (Dear Evan Hansen is
about a high school senior suffering from severe social
anxiety who is thrust into the spotlight after a tragic
event.) And so, during my next trip to New York, in December
2017, I decided to forgo the Broadway ticket lottery, and I
purchased tickets to see the show.

Noah Galvin was our Evan. Even from the fifth row of the orchestra, he
is very believable as a high school senior. Galvin's singing
is effortless and emotional.
Early in the first act, he won me over as he sang "Waving
Through a Window." Galvin does an excellent job of portraying Evan's
crippling awkwardness and anxiety, but I especially enjoyed the
change in his personality during his fantasy sequences with
Connor. It was as if I could see the playful boy that Evan
could be if he were able to shed his insecurities.

Without exception, all of the other actors, all original
Broadway cast members, are perfect in their roles. Laura Dreyfuss
(Zoe Murphy) is delightful to
watch, even though her performance is heartbreaking. Mike Faist
(Connor Murphy) is
mesmerizing and compelling.
Will Roland (Jared Kleinman) and Kristolyn Lloyd (Alana
Beck) perfectly embody their characters, and they deftly add
some comedic moments to the show.

The most touching moment for me came when the cast sang "You
Are Not Alone." They sang the same song in the 2017 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and I
really enjoyed that performance. (Even after numerous
viewings.) This time though, during the show, their performance
truly moved me. And not just a little. There were tears
of heartbreak. (The first of many tears throughout
Dear Evan Hansen.)

The sets are mostly composed of layers of projections of
social media feeds, which fits nicely with the theme of
Dear Evan Hansen. Combined with the moody lighting effects, the result
is often quite stunning. Also interesting, the small
orchestra floats above one corner of the stage.

Dear Evan Hansen will
no doubt be around for years to come on Broadway, in touring
productions (beginning in October 2018), and (someday) on
high school and college stages everywhere. Songs like "Waving through a Window,"
"You Will Be Found," "For Forever," and "Only Us" speak to
the heart, and the story of Dear Evan Hansen breaks
the heart. The show makes those of us who feel unheard feel
a little less alone. I think that's why Dear Evan Hansen
resonates with so many people. Who among us hasn't felt like
Evan at least once in our lives? Some of us feel that way a
lot of the time. Those are the people who need this show the
most.